THE MODERATING EFFECT OF SELF-ESTEEM IN REACTION TO VOICE - CONVERGING EVIDENCE FROM 5 STUDIES

It has been posited that high self-esteem persons (high SEs) are more confident than low self-esteem persons (low SEs) of their capability t o provide meaningful input in a decision process. If this is so, then high SEs should be more influenced by their perceived level of voice, relative to low SEs. Survey data from 4 field studies showed that voic e was more positively related to various dependent variables among hig h SEs than low SEs. In Study 5, the authors experimentally manipulated voice as well as participants' beliefs about their capability to prov ide meaningful input. As expected, voice had a greater impact on the r eactions of participants who were led to believe that they were more c apable of providing meaningful input. Theoretical implications are dis cussed.